Kline has surveyed nearly 750 end users, including those in the restaurants/hospitality, healthcare, industrial, retail, and education sectors, for the 2017 edition of its well-regarded Foodservice Cleaning Products USA study. The results confirm the importance of food safety compliance in commercial kitchens and food preparation areas. Among end users of foodservice cleaning products, food safety compliance was the single most important trend impacting their business. Employee training and compliance in relation to cleaning and guest experience ranked a close second. Minimum wage increases, green cleaning, and IoT and smart/Internet-enabled warewash machines held secondary importance. Social media and its impact on the business, such as Yelp, Open Table, and other reviews/images, was the least important trend among foodservice cleaning products end users.
Seventy-six percent of end users have a food safety management program, and the vast majority of those that have such programs manage them internally with 81% of end users reporting this. Nineteen percent use companies like Ecolab, Diversey, or Steritech to manage their food safety management programs. Most foodservice end users are either “extremely” or “very” satisfied with warewash machine performance and warewash machine maintenance and service.
As part of Kline’s Foodservice Cleaning Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities study, we will ask hundreds of foodservice end users about these and other important issues impacting their business. This study will provide in-depth analysis of major product categories, distribution channels, warewash machinery, and the critical issues affecting the market, including consolidation, alternative formats, direct selling, and private labeling.
